Put the Needle on the Record: Vintage Kiddo Album Art

Best of Alix, Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff


image: Kyle Tait

Back in the spring, on a rainy afternoon, Wolfie and I had a little dance party with the record player and I did a little post about it. We looked at some really awesome record art and ya’ll seemed to enjoy it! Ya know, it’s kind of crazy but kids today won’t ever really know what an LP is unless we show them! Sooo, since it was such a popular post, I thought it was time to take a look at some more records. The music is always charming and fun, but it’s the album artwork that is the real star.

This record is all kinds of awesome. The amazing artwork. The fact that it’s a Child’s Intro to JAZZ….and then the artist is Bob Keeshan and The Honeydreamers. AMAZING.


image: IAAFOTS

Disney records were always among my favorite growing up. Look at these dapper little dudes:

Of course my top faves were the storybook records. “You will know it is time to turn the page, when you hear the chimes ring like this…..” Bllllling.


images: animation archives

Soooo cuuuute those happy little kiddos! I love the categories: Cowboy songs? check! Animal songs? Check! Railboard songs? Check! SOLDIER SONGS???? Hmmm. Not quite as peppy….

image: paula wirth

Pee Wee the Piccolo is the bomb. Look at that sassy face…..

image: i’lltakeyourphoto

I am not sure what the Fog Boat story is, but i’m intrigued! I love this artwork.

This fella is a leeeetle creepy looking, but the name Hi-Fi for Small Fry is so good I don’t even care!


images: image: IAAFOTS

image: kawkawpa

I love me a banjo and these two fine fellers are so great. The type is so modern….you can see how today’s designers are totally influenced by the past!


image: glen mulally

Uh oh….sheeee’s baaaaack. Everyone’s favorite singing, religious ventriloquest. Lord have MARCY!

Really Marcy? Happy Little Children? They look terrified. And look at this poor child below:

images: Tweedlebop

Ayyyiiiii!!!!! No more Marcy! Take me to the kittens…

Sigh. OK. feeling better now.

Moving on….how about THE MINI POPS??? Best kiddo has to be the chick on the far laft with the monkey on her shoulder. What what WHHHAT? Oh wait, that jazzy Jane Fonda boy in the front with satin shorts is pretty fab. Then again maybe the 40 year old 9 year old at the top wearing black leather gloves….or maybe the safari kid…decisions, decisions….

image: jacob whittaker

Finally, the smooth graphic stylings of old skool Sesame Street. One of my faves, all I can say is mi, mi, mi loves Big Bird!

For more fun vintage kid album art, check out our original post HERE. Happy Monday Kiddos!


MODERN KIDDO TIP: You can easily find vintage kiddo records at thrift shops and on ebay. The tricky part is making sure they are in great condition. Most vintage children’s records are sadly a little trashed, but you have to remember that these are albums that are well worn and well loved. I’ve been pretty lucky to score many that are in primo condition, and it makes a difference! Be sure to check (or ask questions) when buying! If you don’t have a record player, that’s ok….you can frame the albums and hang them in your kiddo’s room. If the record label is cool, or it’s pressed on colored vinyl, you can even hang the record itself!

Vintage Kiddo Retro Round up!

Kiddo Style: Vintage,

How can it be August already?  That is just bananas to me.  I feel like I just put away the Peach’s winter clothes. And here we are flirting with back to school and trying to squeeze that last delicious sip of summer.  I did take one too many delicious sips with Miss Alix this weekend at her fabu fabu vintage clothing pahtee where everyone went away with vintage goodies a go go. But you can read more about that at Strawberry Lemonade…

Speaking of vintage, this week’s haul has a couple of particular cutie pie pieces, like this one:

Denim? Check.  Vintage seventies style? Check. Bell bottom goodness? Check.  Insane print that could only be put on be seen on vintage seventies denim bell-bottoms? Priceless.  Oh yeah…

Speaking of denim, we can’t let the ladies not have some of the fun. Particularly with Winne the Pooh is involved–this button cute babydoll top in sassy denim.

You know how much I love a good jonjon, right? But a bright green one with this darling little detail that almost looks like nautical flags.  Totally yummo.  And it is from the thirties. You see–classic style never goes out of style!

As Kay Thompson said “Think Pink” and who wouldn’t want to when your little gal is wearing a delightfully charming ribbon edged cute coat.  The only thing that would make it more adorable is your little one wearing it!

The Etsy seller of this next gem suggests you, “dress your little man in this shirt and take him to see a movie in the park.”  Great idea for a great shirt. And ahem—it’s a nice size 6, which is one of those oh-so-elusive big boy sizes.

You just have to love this sweet florally goodness in girly girl vintage seventies dress form. And just to push it to eleven, we are going to add a little bit of lace. Too good, right?  And check it out–big girl size 6 to boot. Made of cotton but “Perma-Prest” so you get the best of all worlds.

Squirrels are very hot right now—it’s all about woodland creatures.  But check out this lovely duck egg blue romper with the most dapper squirrel ever. Wearing his own little vest to boot. What’s not to love?

Who doesn’t love Snoopy? My friend Eileen’s family named their dog Snoopy. I have a feeling her family wasn’t the only one working that comic strip magic.  I’m sure Eileen would have appreciated this pink pair of tennies like these wee wonders on eBay.

I’ve always had a thing for pink elephants.  But what looks good on a vintage cocktail shaker can also look super cute on a pair of vintage kid’s overalls.  And shall I mention they are HealthTex too? From our dear Frecklewonder’s uber shop of vintage awesomeness.

Well, I hope you all had a lovely lovely weekend and enjoyed the last remaining days of summer!

Gifts Define & Swanky Threads Winner!

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Hi hi everyone!

We have a wonderful winner for our Gifts Define & Swanky Threads Giveaway from last week. Thanks to everyone that voted. It always means the world to us when we can bring our bloggy friends something as dandy as they are!

The winner is BETSY FROM COOL KIDS!

Hot Dog! Ain’t that grand? Congrats, Betsy!

And don’t fret if you didn’t win—we have some super sweet giveaways coming up in the very near future.

Thanks again everyone and thanks to our friends at Gifts Define and Swanky Threads for supplying these lovely gifties.

Meet Sophia! Our Weekly Kiddo!

Weekly Kiddos


Gather ’round friends, it’s time for our favorite feature! This week we have a super cute little munchkin to share with you….four year old Sophia! Her nickname is Fia (cuuuuute!) and she is one stylish little minx. Just you wait and see!


How cute is this little girl?? So the cool thing about Miss Fia is that her mama is an amazing seamstress and MAKES a lot of her clothing. I’m so impressed! You can read all about it and even get patterns on her site, Sevi Designs. Just take a gander at this:

Can you believe that adorable dress was made without a pattern?? Yup, mama Katherine was winging it! Read about it here.

This halter dress is just adorable:

SO CUTE! Check out the tutorial here on her blog.

Next up, another dress made by mama:

I adore that matching fabric hair flower. Find out how to do it all HERE.



OK, finally something store bought! (It’s about time, you were makin’ me look bad Katherine! hee) This one is an Oshkosh Pink hoodie tee and Sophia’s super cute trademark crochet hat with flower from Etsy seller, Elle Bows & More.

I’m soooo into these hats. She is like a little bohemian flapper, flower child!

Hurray for Fia! I can’t tell you how in awe I am of Katherine’s dresses. Sooo fabulous and crafty! She tells us that Miss Sofia is a sassy little firecracker, with an awesome personality and great sense of humor! Even though she loves her girlie hats and dresses, she also loves to play in the dirt , swing and slide! She is a great helper and  you’ll often find her toting a big watering can around to water her mama’s flowers. When the weather is warm out she hops on her scooter and goes for a ride! At the end of a long day playing hard, Fia loves her bath time and then a great snuggle. Awwww, Fia we sure think you’re sumpthin’ special! Thank you soo much Katherine for sharing her with us! Be sure to swing by Sevi Designs for all kinds of fabulous tutorials and sewing inspiration!

**Do you have a stylish and cute kiddo that you would like to see featured here? Send us some photos! You can read the guidelines here!**

Real Life:: Shoe Shopping for Toddlers

Real Life, , ,



Baby needs a new pair of shoes!

The Peach was in need of a new pair of shoes.  She has some tough widdle footies to fit, and the shoes I bought online and in misc. stores guessing her size didn’t really help the situation and usually ended with her crying “Mama open door peeze.”   Translation: “Mother, these shoes are not comfortable–would you please take them off?”

So, I took Miz Peach to my local children’s shoe store called Happy Feet run by the very helpful and very charming Oanh (pronounce Ahn).  What does it take to run a shoe store for the tot set?  Well, Oanh worked at a shoe store throughout high school that specialized in childrens shoes, so she is smarter than the average bear regarding the importance of good foot wear for kids.  And she has a degree in Fashion Design, so that helps pick out sassiest little numbers for your little cutie patootie.

Oahn was kind enough to share some great tips for buying your little one’s first pair of shoes and beyond:

1.) Bring your kiddo with you:  I know that sounds simple, but a lot of parents just want to quickly hop into a store and grab a pair of cute shoes.  It is almost impossible to get a good fit without putting it on your little one. Besides you can relive your childhood when Oahn brings out that crazy metal shoe size thingie that hasn’t changed since Buster Brown shoe stores day.  If you can’t bring your little one in with you,  at least trace the kid’s foot.

2.) Bend the Shoe: When your wee one  start walking they are ready for their first pair of shoes.  That first pair of shoes should be very very flexible and lightweight. Try bending it not only from front to back but twist it to test its flexibility.  It can take kids a bit of time to get used to wearing shoes, so starting them even wearing the shoes an hour a day can help them get used the feel.  Too hard soles can lead kiddos to fall forward onto their faces, so the flexibility helps with balance!

3.) Make sure there is space: The bones in an adult foot are incredibly tiny, so just think about how small and flexible they are in a baby foot. Too tight shoes can deform your little one’s feet! You want at least a half inch in the toe area for new kids and make sure they are wide enough.

4.) But not too much space! Sometimes parents want to buy shoes that are too big for their kids in a hope that they’ll grow into them.  However, that can be dangerous for their kids and also uncomfortable.  Kids spend a lot of time running and too big shoes is an accident waiting to happen.

5.) Two is better than one:  Consider getting two pairs of shoes for your little one–allowing the other pair to breath for a day. That way the shoes will last longer. And it’s not like there aren’t a lot of cutie shoes out there to chose from…

6.) Take your lifestyle  into account:  Mary Jane/Sandal/Sneaker? It depends on your baby’s life style.  Might want something a little more rugged if they spend more time at the playground.  Or invest in waterproof sandals your kid loves playing in water.

Tho’ of course there is nothing wrong with letting your little one go around barefoot and fancy free! My sister in law was a big no shoes believer for her kids.  She still tells stories about her daughters first “report card” from kindergarten saying that little Banks was “getting the hang of shoes.”

Here are the ones that the Peach and I settled on Livie and Luca.  They seem to be the best brand for the Peach’s wide footies. Which I’m very happy about since this little one will be sporting these cuties this winter.

Even the kitty likes  her new shoes.

Any other tips on kiddo shoe shopping? Any favorite brands out there?